Session 1: Sustainability transformations in the large-scale tree plantation sector
Room Y307a
We engage a broad group of stakeholders including industry, NGOs, policy-makers and academics from different disciplines to discuss and co-create innovative opportunities and practices to facilitate sustainability transformations in the large-scale tree plantation sector. The issue of sustainability is approached in a broad sense, and will emphasise interactions between social, environmental and economic sustainability in complex environments. We will discuss driving forces of sustainability including rationalities (e.g. scientific facts), hidden forces (e.g. histories, values, believes and emotions) and ways of interaction. One major theme will be on European and Finnish responsibilities for sustainable production and consumption of products coming from large-scale tree plantations in the Global South, where sustainability is particularly challenging and controversial, taking into consideration the entire supply chain from primary production to end products. The facilitated session includes mini-workshops, presentations, a poster session and dialogues by researchers, private-sector, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
Presentations
9:30 Opening Jorma Eloranta, Chair of the Board, StoraEnso & Chair of the Honorary Delegation, Aalto University Student Union.
9:35 Global overview and Finnish context. Professor Markku Kanninen, Director, Viikki Tropical Resources Institute (VITRI), University of Helsinki (UH).
9:40 What are the main opportunities, challenges, research gaps and needs related to large scale tree plantation sector – the entire supply chain? (facilitated group discussion)
9:50 Perspectives: What supports or prevents sustainability?
Challenges, opportunities, research gaps, needs and ideas are discussed in presentations & facilitated discussion.
- Global review of the socioeconomic impacts of large-scale tree plantations. Arttu Malkamäki, Doctoral student, VITRI, UH.
- Ways Forward: The Paradigmatic Changes Required in Industrial Forestry. Associate Professor Markus Kröger, Development Studies, UH.
- The role of plantations in protecting biodiversity. Aleksi Heiskanen, International Development Expert, WWF Finland.
- Sustainable plantation forestry in the Global South: Stora Enso’s perspective. Dr. Antti Marjokorpi, Head of Forests, Plantations & Land Use, Sustainability, StoraEnso.
- Sustainable plantation forestry in the Global South: UPM’s perspective. Timo Lehesvirta, Sustainable Forestry Lead, UPM.
- Ecosystem Services certification of large-scale tree plantations. Dr. Sini Savilaakso, Senior Sustainability Researcher, Metsäteho Oy.
11:15 How to meet the goals and fill the gaps together? What do we expect from the different actors? (facilitated group discussion)
11:40 Closing
Available presentations of the session:
Conveners:
- Nicholas Hogarth (Univ. of Helsinki), nicholas.hogarth(at)helsinki.fi
- Paula Siitonen (Aalto University), paula.siitonen(at)aalto.fi
Session 2: Innovations in Sustainable Food Systems
Room Y124
The environmental effects of the food system are related to climate change, changes in land use, depletion of freshwater resources, and pollution of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems through excessive nitrogen and phosphorus inputs. Improving the sustainability of the food system requires dietary changes towards healthier, more plant-based diets, improvements in technologies and management, and reductions in food loss and waste. This session aims to highlight novel innovations that improve the sustainability of food systems. The session will consist of presentations that address different parts of the supply chain of food, covering primary production, processing, packaging, retail, distribution, food service, consumption and waste management. Papers that consider environmental, social and economic sustainability jointly are preferred, but papers focusing only on one aspect of sustainability and/or one part of the food system are also welcomed. The innovations can be e.g. novel sustainable products, technologies, business models, new political instruments or nudges that improve the sustainability of food systems through influencing the choices made by the food chain actors (e.g. producers, retailers, food service providers or consumers).
Presentations
Opening words
Novel foods:
- Hannele Pulkkinen: Carbon footprint reduction potential with novel plant products with protein, product, meal and diet
- Katri Joensuu: Sustainability of house crickets (Acheta domesticus) production for human consumption
- Niko Räty: Artificial, in vitro or cultured? A conceptual analysis of meat from cell-cultures
- Ashkan Pakseresht: Seizing Blue Bioeconomy opportunities: Review of developments in sustainable food solutions
Discussion
Circularity in food business:
- Mamata Bhattarai: Spruce gum a sustainable food ingredient from trees
- Rossanna Coda: Biotechnical approaches to recycle bread waste into food ingredient: from bread to bread
- Ira Bhattarai: Innovation in business models: towards circularity through co-creation in food valuechains
Discussion
Packaging and consumption:
- Hanna Koivula: Finding the balance: Protecting the food while improving package material sustainability
- Stefano Ghinoi: Business model innovations for sustainable food systems? Applying Life Cycle Assesment (LCA) to look for new business models associated with Finland’s wine supply chain
- Kata Fodor: Kitchen think-over: the hybridisation of food spaces and their potential to facilitate sustainable diets
Discussion
Commentator
- Virpi Jonson, Innovation Manager, Valio
Conveners:
- Hanna Tuomisto (Univ. of Helsinki), hanna.tuomisto(at)helsinki.fi
- Kirsi Mikkonen (Univ. of Helsinki), kirsi.s.mikkonen(at)helsinki.fi
- Leena Lankoski (Aalto University), leena.lankoski(at)aalto.fi
Session 3: Transitions towards a low-carbon society – future considerations
Room Y203
Research has a facilitative role as contributor to new knowledge, which helps to design policies, to remove sustainability barriers and to accelerate the progress of successful solutions. Transition has been traditionally studied from the historical perspective e.g. how it has advanced over time. Nevertheless, research also looks at potential future pathways, directions, visions or trajectories of change.
This session tackles future oriented considerations on transition towards low-carbon production and consumption. We invite contributions which examine transitions from a multiplicity of perspectives, sectors and levels, including but not limited to the systems view, policy perspective, governance, actor analysis, buildings, energy or mobility sectors, experimentation etc. We welcome both conceptual discussions as well as empirical analysis on transitions.
Due to the pressing need of taking actions to counteract the negative effects of climate change, we welcome presentations that focus on discussing established as well as novel methodologies in how to empirically create future pathways of low-carbon transitions. By discussing a variety of ways and perspectives on studying transitions in the making, we hope to cross-fertilize and advance the transdisciplinary sustainability research towards considering future perspectives, and support respective policy making while doing so.
Presenters
- Ruggiero, Kangas, Ohrling, Annala: Business model innovation in niche-regime interaction: The case of demand response in Finland.
- Repo, Eyvindson, Halme, Mönkkönen: All good if it starts from “bio”? – reflections on a case study on bioenergy, carbon balance and biodiversity.
- Kylkilahti, Korhonen, Tuppura, Miettinen: Towards circular bioeconomy business and consumption – 3 forest-based industry cases.
- Lukkarinen, Matschoss, Repo: An analysis of experiments in the Finnish Transition Arena for energy transition.
- Vihemäki, Mäenpää, Toppinen: Social innovations in construction as a way to support sustainability transition in the urban context.
- Kangas, Ruggiero, Ohrling, Annala: Disruption and collaboration. The growth strategies for demand response business models in Finland.
- Goodman, Juntunen, Halme: Grand societal challenges and responsible innovation: achieving systemic change with stakeholders.
Commentator
- Heli Antila, Chief Technology Officer, Fortum oy
Conveners:
- Salvatore Ruggiero (Aalto University), salvatore.ruggiero(at)aalto.fi
- Kaisa Matschoss (Univ. of Helsinki), kaisa.matschoss(at)helsinki.fi
- Petteri Repo (Univ. of Helsinki), petteri.repo(at)helsinki.fi
Session 4: Energy Humanities
Room U119 DELOITTE
Burning problems related to energy production and use cannot be solved by sciences only but call for the development of interdisciplinary approaches that draw on humanities and social sciences – energy humanities. While bridging between natural sciences and humanities, energy humanities not only remap the geopolitical and ecological factors of energy policy at various levels but also develop new vocabulary (e.g. petroculture, nuclear phobia, nuclear identity, energy liberation, plutonium economy) and methodological tools (ecocriticism, nuclear criticism, econarratology etc.) to map the energetic history of humanity.
Programme
9:30-9:40 Introduction to the topic by the convenors
9:40-10:05 Inna Sukhenko (University of Helsinki): Framing “Nuclear” Fiction as Archive within Energy Humanities
10:05-10:30 Atte Harjanne (Aalto University School of Business / Finnish Meteorological Institute) & Janne M. Korhonen (Turku School of Economics): Ditch the concept of renewables, talk about emissions – the risks of ambiguous normativity in the field of energy policy
10:30-10:55 Judit Nyari & Annukka Santasalo-Aarnio (Aalto University School of Engineering): From linear to circular energy model in transport
10:55-11:20 Athanasios Votsis & Riina Haavisto (Finnish Meteorological Institute): Urban DNA and sustainability outcomes: Planning pathways toward SDGs?
11:20-11:30 Harri Paananen (City of Espoo): Discussion of the presentations from a practitioner perspective
11:30-11:45 General discussion
Commentator
- Harri Paananen (City of Espoo)
Conveners
- Inna Sukhenko (Univ. of Helsinki), inna.sukhenko(at)helsinki.fi
- Meri Jalonen (Aalto University), meri.jalonen(at)aalto.fi
The panel will also include an introduction to the topic by the convenors.
Session 5: Evidence based policy or Policy based evidence I: Different voices, different evidence! Whose voice matters?
Room U270 U8
In this session we are interested in exploring the role of scientists and evidence in shaping policy and practice of sustainability. We define sustainability very broadly, and our main interests lie in exploring the topic of reliability and accountability of researchers and policy makers towards society’s needs and interests in (environmental) sustainability and the role of power relations within this interface.
Credible and independent evidence, defined as an available body of knowledge and information, is crucial to respond to our current major socio-environmental challenges, with sustainability sciences playing a pivotal role in providing this. Demand for and supply of evidence to inform decision makers and practitioners seems to be very high: calls for improved public policy through evidence-based decision making, establishment of new science-policy interfaces, and commitments to impactful science are voiced every day in diverse policy arenas. At the same time however, reliability of scientific evidence is increasingly contested and challenged by political and societal actors. And while scientists no longer can claim to hold the monopoly over legitimate knowledge production as multiple sources of evidence and expertise gain acceptance and legitimacy (e.g. indigenous peoples knowledge about biodiversity), facts and information are still being produced, selected and interpreted by a variety of society actors, ranging from Universities, to state research institutions, think tanks, interest organizations and other state and civil society actors. Hence, one can argue that in addition to scientists, multiple actors, including industrial lobbyists and environmental organizations, are using evidence to advance their agendas and influence public decision-making. Furthermore, public decision making is also affected by values, beliefs, and by power relations, for example expressed through financial exchanges. One can expect to find such plurality but also inherent power imbalances in particular in fields characterized by multidisciplinary, transdisciplinary research and ambitions for co-creation of knowledge (e.g. sustainability science), as this type of research is likely to encounter and include people with various backgrounds and beliefs. This raises important questions about the reliability of evidence: what is evidence and how is the evidence generated, how is it used, by whom? And as importantly, whose questions and findings have found funding and hence can contribute to a body of evidence? In summary, whose voices are heard, and whose evidence counts?
In this session we would like to explore questions such as whose science – and sustainability - matters, and who determines which questions (and problems) are on the sustainability research and policy agenda? We will discuss and explore the multiple challenges related to science policy interactions in particular within the sustainability sciences together with the participants, and aim to identify experiences and opportunities for addressing these challenges.
Presentations
- Varumo et al: At the intersections of science and society: co-constructing societal relevance for policy
- Lehikoinen et al: The question of framing in environmental impact assessments: evidence-based policy or policy based evidence?
- Savilaakso, Johansson & Häkkilä: Evidence needs in natural resource use – who participates?
- Rekola, Nyberg & Paloniemi: Environmental knowledge and epistemic governance in land use planning
Commentator
- Helena Laukko, UN Association of Finland
Conveners:
- Maria Ojanen (Univ. of Helsinki), maria.ojanen(at)helsinki.fi
- Maria Brockhaus (Univ. of Helsinki), maria.brockhaus(at)helsinki.fi
New Global
Room Y309b
New Global is an interdisciplinary research and innovation project that has been ongoing for 5 years at Aalto departments of Management, Design, Civil engineering (water) and Applied Physics (renewable energy). The project aims at creating pathways for sustainability innovations and impact business in resource constrained settings, and has pioneered how interdisciplinary research can take an active role in co-creating across disciplines, sectors and geographies. In this session, both research findings and practical lessons from the work are shared.
9.30 Introduction of the New Global project: Interdisciplinary research for sustainability innovations in resource constrained settings
9.45 Marleen Vierenga “Innovative entrepreneurial processes of grassroots entrepreneurs in the low-income context”
10.00 Helena Sandman “Empathic design methods in architecture to support social sustainabilility in the Global South. ”
10.15 Jarkko Levänen ”The role of institutions in the advancement of circular economy”
10.30 Sini Numminen "Blackout under a bright sunshine. Quality of solar electricity in rural areas in emerging markets"
10.45 Anne Hyvärinen ”Bridging constraints through innovation partnerships – cases from Kenyan water sector”
11.00 -11.45 Discussion on lessons learned by doing interdisciplinary action research in emerging markets